My boy is doing great. Just last week his doctor said that if all is still going as well he’ll be able to return to school a day short of 5 weeks since transplant. That means next Monday. Gage is excited about returning back to school but he admits he just wants to see his friends. He would like very much to not return to school work.

During the course of his disease progression he’s had to endure many shots. For over two years he was on EPO for the severe anemia. EPO allowed him to have enough energy to play and we’re thankful there was a suitable treatment. In addition, he started growth hormone shots to help his little body catch up. The non-functioning kidneys have taken a toll on the boy who, when he was born, was in well over the 90th percentile and lingered just below the 5th percentile before dialysis. 

So over these past couple of years Gage has had many Band-Aids to cover those needle punctures inflicted by me. He loved to take them and make stars out of them to adorn his bedroom and more specifically, his bed. The night before Gage’s transplant I’d told Gage that he wouldn’t need shots for a while and that we could take the stars down. He said "No Mommy, I like them. I like to remember."

Fair enough Sweetie. The stars are still there today and I assume will be there for a long, long time.